ON Thursday, January 4, several inmates at Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford were involved in an altercation that resulted in many being the victims of an assault, the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) announced on Friday.

The injured inmates were evaluated by staff members of the CSC and transported to an outside hospital to receive treatment.

No staff members were injured during this incident.

A lockdown of the institution is now in place, and visits have been suspended until further notice.

Normal operations will resume as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

Meanwhile, media reports say that three people were taken to hospital in critical condition from Kent Institution in Agassiz and two people were taken to hospital from Matsqui Institution on Thursday evening.